After the frenzy of openings of 2022, this summer Eivissa seems to be calmer. If we look at it from the positive side, it seems that the open and close that the most changeable and busiest island of the Balearic Islands usually has us used to is not so much anymore. Now the bet of many restaurateurs is to strengthen their proposals, take more care of the details or try to improve their line of work in search of excellence; which projects a much more varied, rich and interesting gastronomic panorama.
If you happen to be there this summer, you should visit Etxeko, which this new season has received its first Michelin star. Located in the luxurious Bless Hotel, in Cala Nova, it is the house on the island of the most awarded chef in this country by the Red Guide, Martín Berasategui, who already treasures 12 highlights distributed among 7 of his establishments. In charge of the kitchens of this restaurant, whose Basque name translates as 'homemade', you will find the chef Paco Budia, who after abandoning his studies in Business and going through some establishments in Córdoba, arrived at Martín Berasategui, in Lasarte (Gipuzkoa). with the intention of doing an 8-month internship and in the end he ended up staying for 5 years. There he learned everything from his teacher, who in 2019 bet on him for his landing in Eivissa.
Together this summer they propose 'El Viaje de Martín' at Etxeko, a tasting menu (175 euros without pairing) with eleven passes that covers the recipe book and flavors of the Basque Country, the Mediterranean and Andalusia, a link between Eivissa and the roots of both chefs. It starts with a liquid ham and truffle omelette, the most interesting of the snacks, and continues with snacks made with ingredients from the Ibizan pantry, such as the sparkling chilli pepper with marinated sirvia, cucumber and watercress mayonnaise; or the Norway lobster carpaccio on an emulsified background of textured fennel. The Etxeko salad is delicious, a version of the one that Martín Berasategui serves at Lasarte, but with Mediterranean prawns and a roasted garlic vinaigrette. If he wants a pairing, trust the Venezuelan sommelier Eliel Varela, who has rightly chosen to accompany each dish with references coming only from Spanish vineyards. The room is run by Héctor Suárez, who has a fantastic team, extremely detailed, something that is not easy to find on an island like Eivissa, marked by seasonal work.
Another restaurant that in the last five years has changed its register and raised the bar is Unic, in the Migjorn hotel, on the busy beach of Playa d'Embossa. In it you will find the most authentic flavors of Eivissa, although paradoxically it is a French chef, David Grussaute, who is in charge of the proposal. Born in Bordeaux, but living on the island since 1997, this chef is absolutely obsessed with recovering the forgotten products of the largest of the Pitiusas, such as the posidonia seaweed that he himself collects when the sea is not rough, oxalis, carob or field mustard. Among the dishes on its tasting menu (it has a long one for 105 euros and a smaller one for 85 euros) stands out the delicious sea and mountain that it prepares with oyster, stuffed black pork belly and Xeixa wheat (an ancestral variety) that reaches the table in a tableware designed by Toniet, the last great potter from Eivissa. Among the desserts, we prefer the 'Pitiusas, islas de pinos', with pineapple ice cream and a pine water granita that transports you to any Ibizan cove. The pairing can be improved, focused on riojas, albariños and other Spanish wine-growing areas that have little to do with the restaurant's proximity discourse.
This year it is also worth visiting Nudo, from the trio made up of former Noma chefs Edoardo Fiaschi, Jessica Natali and José Carlos Conde, who are opening their second season in an old beach bar in Es Figueral. Its formula, although informal and simple, is at the same time captivating, since these young chefs who, tired of haute cuisine, landed in Eivissa when the pandemic broke out, apply the techniques learned in one of the best restaurants to local seafood. of the world. Of course, without major complications since they work in a tiny kitchen. Obviously, in their proposal, which is slowly gaining popularity on the island, there is no shortage of fermentations or the influences of Japanese and Mexican cuisine, countries in which they have worked during their time at Noma. Its dishes to share include the delicious tuna belly cured with koji; the clams, razor clams and mussels with homemade kimchi or the smoked eggplant bikini with scamorza and miso; which, if desired, can be accompanied with one of the 60 references of natural wines that they have in their cellar, difficult to find in Eivissa.
We did not find the advice of Mexican chef Roberto Ruiz who has just started at The Beach by Ushuaia so interesting. The menu that he has created together with his executive chef, Ivan Cañete, tries to satisfy all audiences and it is appreciated that it lacks filming. Even so, there are some dishes that are worth it, such as sea bass a la talla with poblano peppers and gustillo peppers.
